— Orioles infielder Jake Fox spent Thursday's off day back on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he once received first-team All-Big Ten conference honors. It was a nice trip down to memory lane for Fox, but he likely got an even bigger thrill today when he arrived at Comerica Park and saw his name in the lineup. Fox, who started the series opener against the Detroit Tigers at first base, had just one at-bat in September and that was all the way back on Sept.

Now that Major League Baseball has been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, we can all take comfort in the fact that truth, justice and the National Pastime will forever be protected by modern video technology. Don't misunderstand the sarcastic tone. The decision to dramatically expand the use of video replay to reverse bad umpire rulings is the correct one for our time. There's no reason to let bad calls stand when there is an almost foolproof way to replace them with good ones.

Now that Major League Baseball has been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, we can all take comfort in the fact that truth, justice and the National Pastime will forever be protected by modern video technology. Don't misunderstand the sarcastic tone. The decision to dramatically expand the use of video replay to reverse bad umpire rulings is the correct one for our time. There's no reason to let bad calls stand when there is an almost foolproof way to replace them with good ones.

— Orioles infielder Jake Fox spent Thursday's off day back on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he once received first-team All-Big Ten conference honors. It was a nice trip down to memory lane for Fox, but he likely got an even bigger thrill today when he arrived at Comerica Park and saw his name in the lineup. Fox, who started the series opener against the Detroit Tigers at first base, had just one at-bat in September and that was all the way back on Sept.

Jim Joyce, who helped put the Baltimore division of the Ryland Group Inc. back on steady ground, is being transferred to Phoenix in hopes of growing the Columbia-based company's presence in that thriving Southwestern market.Replacing Joyce as division president is Ed Gold, Ryland's senior vice president of human resources in its corporate office. Gold, 42, will assume control of the division next week. He lives in Pikesville and has been with Ryland since August 1996 after working five years as vice president of human resources for USF&G Corp.

On the field: Umpire Jim McKean is suffering from a throat infection, so for the first four innings last night Vic Voltaggio, Gary Cederstrom and Jim Joyce worked as a three-man crew. In the fifth inning, Ed Hickox, one of the AL's roving umpires who fills in where needed, arrived at Camden Yards and worked the rest of the game at second base.In the dugout: Orioles manager Phil Regan, searching for a way to shake up things, moved catcher Chris Hoiles into the No. 5 spot in the batting order and batted Sherman Obando sixth, at designated hitter.

Magician David Copperfield didn't just levitate a few folks at his Lyric Opera House show; he also helped raise more than $40,000 for the House With a Heart Foundation. More than 900 friends of the foundation bought tickets for a benefit performance, and a few were treated to a post-show meet-and-greet with the magic master.Spotted among the sleight-of-hand fans were Lou Grasmick, Dr. Nancy Grasmick, Ruth Heltne, Natalie Chabot, Bob Miller, Alan Lloyd, Larry DeBaugh, John Paterakis, Marty Resnick, Bob Ward, Jim Joyce and Roy Kirby.

Athletics: Designated hitter Matt Stairs, who collided with Minnesota's Paul Molitor in Tuesday night's game while playing first base, has a slight tear in his left shoulder. He can hit, but will not be able to play in the field for two weeks. The A's went 4-3 on the home stand that ended yesterday. Mike Blowers, who had a double and a single, ended an 0-for-10 slide.Blue Jays: Roger Clemens has allowed nine runs in a start only three times, the last coming on May 18, 1991, for the Red Sox against Texas.

Yesterday's fan-aided home run may have seemed familiar to Orioles fans with good memories. On Aug. 15, 1993, much the same thing happened at Yankee Stadium.That day, the Orioles lost to the New York Yankees, 1-0, on a homer by Don Mattingly to right field in the eighth. Mattingly hit a fly ball that was caught by Tim McKenzie, a 16-year-old fan from Durham, Conn., who reached over the wall. McKenzie prevented right fielder Mark McLemore, who had leaped, from making a play.When asked if he could have caught the ball, McLemore said: "Yes.

Jim Joyce, who helped put the Baltimore division of the Ryland Group Inc. back on steady ground, is being transferred to Phoenix in hopes of growing the Columbia-based company's presence in that thriving Southwestern market.Replacing Joyce as division president is Ed Gold, Ryland's senior vice president of human resources in its corporate office. Gold, 42, will assume control of the division next week. He lives in Pikesville and has been with Ryland since August 1996 after working five years as vice president of human resources for USF&G Corp.

THE COLLAPSE:: Jamie Walker served up a solo homer to Dustin Pedroia, and Rocky Cherry issued a bases-loaded walk to Coco Crisp in the seventh inning, allowing Boston to cut a four-run deficit to two. The Red Sox tied it in the eighth on Mark Kotsay's two-run triple. They won it in the ninth as pitcher Jim Miller fielded Jacoby Ellsbury's bunt and threw the ball into left field in an attempt to force out Alex Cora at third base. HUFF DENIED: : Aubrey Huff thought he had his 31st home run and 99th RBI in the fifth.